Romance, New York Style
by sugah66
Summary: A collection of oneshots about Danny and Lindsay. Only one chapter is M, the rest are T and below.
1. Make My Day

**TITLE: Romance, New York Style  
****AUTHOR: Sugah Sugah  
****SUMMARY: A collection of short one-shots surrounding Danny and Lindsay.  
****SPOILERS: None  
****PAIRING: D/L  
****RATING: M to be safe, though most are K+  
****DISCLAIMER: They aren't mine. I wish they were. But they aren't.  
****AUTHOR'S NOTE: These are based on a series of prompts for the ficathon over at DLC. There were 30 of them, and I used them all.**

**

* * *

Prompt: 19. moment**

* * *

It was one of those days when Danny thought his head was going to explode. It was one of those cases where he felt like he was running around in circles with no chance of escape. He and Lindsay were running out of suspects and out of time. So they went to the last piece of evidence they had - a scratched CD. He was attempting to clean it up a bit when he glanced up and caught sight of Lindsay's reflection in the glass. She was checking him out. He definitely saw her eyes drift downwards, giving him the once over. It lasted only a moment, but it made his day. Hell, it made his year. 


	2. Steady

**Prompt:** 11. heartbeat

* * *

She lies awake late at night and listens to his heartbeat. It's soft and steady, a calming presence. She loves the simple rhythm but longs for those times when she can make it speed up again. 


	3. Daisies

**Prompts:** 06. sheets, 15. flowers

* * *

Her sheets are pale yellow with daisies on them. Daisies are her favorite flower. Sleeping on them makes him feel girly, so he makes sure they do very little sleeping when they're at her place.

The best thing about her sheets is when she bunches them with her hands when she climaxes. That's the only time he actually doesn't mind the daisies.


	4. Hershey's

**Prompt:** 13. chocolate

* * *

Instead of a heart-shaped box of chocolates, which is probably what she was expecting, he brings her a bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup when he shows up at her apartment. She just looks at him, that unique, furrowed-brow, confused look he refers to as "the Montana" - but only when she's not around.

"Am I supposed to eat this?" she asks, eyeing the bottle with suspicion.

"No," he says, waggling his eyebrows. "I am."

The look she gives him is priceless as realization slowly begins to dawn on her. That beautiful shade of red tinges her cheeks as she shyly glances away, and she's anything but shy. He licks his lips and anxiously awaits her response.

"But I just changed the sheets."


	5. Numbers

**Prompts:** 25. dinner, 27. together

* * *

Their first dinner together, they ate insects. Grasshopper chutney, meal worm spaghetti, wasp tamales, deep-fried spiders...technically arachnids and not insects. They laughed with each other and then went back to their separate apartments and threw up.

Their second dinner together, they got Grey's Papaya hot dogs from the stand on 72nd, just because she said she'd never had one, and he wanted her to have a taste of New York City. And it was on the way to a suspect's apartment. And he was hungry.

Their fifth dinner together, they actually went out to dinner at a real restaurant - a pizzeria in Brooklyn with the world's best cheesecake. He made her laugh. She made him smile. They got kicked out at closing time.

Their seventeenth dinner together, they ate at his apartment. He made lasagna for her. She told him what a turn-on it is when a guy cooks. He burned everything, because they never made it to the kitchen.

Their forty-eighth dinner together, they had a picnic in Central Park. Strawberry Fields. He brought his guitar and serenaded her. She said that was cheating. He asked her to move in with him. They broke the guitar.

Their eighty-second dinner together, they went on a river cruise. They stood on the deck and watched the skyline turn purple and all the lights in the city come on. He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes. But he could barely understand her through the tears.

Their hundred-and-ninth dinner together, they were too excited to eat. Her dress was gorgeous. His tux was a rental. There were stars in their eyes. They danced all night long.


	6. Kryptonite

**Prompts:** 09. he, 10. she

* * *

He's her Superman.

He puts on a brave face when he's crying on the inside. He thinks he has to be strong for her. He thinks his Staten Island upbringing prevents any outward displays of emotion. He fights her demons. He chases away her fears. He saves her from herself. He holds her when she cries. He protects her within the shelter of his arms. He loves her.

She's his Kryptonite.

She won't let him hide when he has to break down. She urges him to open up to her. She doesn't accept his flimsy excuses, his "I'm fine." She doesn't even have to say anything; sometimes all it takes is a look. She fights back his demons, but she leaves him vulnerable. She turns him into a different man, a better man. She loves him.


	7. Cozy's

**Prompt:** 16. beginning

* * *

They sat at the table, him with his beer, her with her wine, watching their boss play bass onstage. Danny had seemed almost giddy when he'd arrived. Licking his lips, a gleam in his eyes as he said, "So...what's up?"

He looked almost disappointed when he found out why she'd asked him here. She couldn't help but smile as she sipped her wine and watched him watch Mac.

Little did he know that this was only the beginning.


	8. Rain

**Prompts:** 08. kiss, 24. desire

* * *

They were walking through central park, searching for this dog statue that Lindsay had always wanted to see. Danny had no idea where they were going, and he would never willingly admit that they were lost. He didn't know what this dog statue was, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

"I think it's this way," he said, pointing in some arbitrary direction. Whether or not it led to the dog statue was another matter entirely.

Forty-five minutes later, no dog statue, and dark clouds were beginning to gather overhead. Danny glared at the sky. Lindsay looked at Danny.

"Are we lost?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," he said, glancing around. They were about to be caught in a torrential downpour, and there was no place to hide.

"Danny."

He didn't get the chance to respond, because there was a loud rumble of thunder and the sky opened up. Lindsay shrieked and looked around for some cover. Danny grabbed her hand and took off running. Eventually, they had to come across something. But they didn't find anything until they arrived at the zoo. Danny pulled her under the archway of the entrance.

"I'm soaked!" Lindsay said. Danny glanced at her and immediately wished he hadn't. Her shirt was drenched and completely see-through. She was wearing a bra, but it wasn't hiding anything. He could clearly see her nipples through the material, and he suddenly felt very warm. He licked his lips. She glanced up at him, and his desire must have been written all over his face, because she smiled almost shyly and looked away.

"Danny," she said, "we're in public."

He licked his lips again and advanced on her, backing her up until she was pressed against the brick of the archway. "Yeah, and no one's around."

She shook her head, but he could tell that she was just as aroused as he was. He glanced down. That couldn't just be because of the cold. Her breathing hitched as he leaned towards her. "Danny..."

He brushed his lips across hers gently, teasingly, a light caress. He kissed her once, twice, three times, and then pulled away. She grasped the lapel of his jacket and pulled him to her once more, their lips meeting in a much more passionate kiss. He moaned into her mouth as she parted her lips for him, and he accepted the invitation by stroking his tongue out to touch hers. His hands slid under the soaked fabric of her shirt to get closer to her warm skin, but she pulled away. She gripped his biceps hard enough to bruise and giggled.

"What?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious.

She smiled at him. "This is where we first met." She laughed again and slid her hands down his arms to twine their fingers. "Kind of fitting, don't you think?"

He brought their clasped hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "How so?"

She stretched up on her toes to press a light kiss to his temple, and he shivered. "Because," she said into his ear, "I've wanted to kiss you ever since."


	9. Monogamy

**Prompt: **20. relationship

* * *

Quite possibly the worst word in the English language - relationship. Danny had always hated the thought of monogamy. Despite the water cooler gossip surrounding him, he was not a typical playboy. He'd had his fair share of women, true, but he didn't go through women the way most people went through a pack of gum. He just was not the kind of guy who settled down with one woman for the rest of his life.

Then he met Lindsay. Montana. One look at her and he knew he'd have to change. And he didn't mind. Something about her made him want to change. He wanted her face to be the first thing he saw when he woke up in the morning and the last thing he saw when he went to bed at night. For the rest of his life. Because he knew, as soon as he saw her, that she was it for him. And that was all there was to it.


	10. Attraction

**Prompts: **03. skin, 05. voice, 22. lust, 23. smile, 28. glow

* * *

It's the way she looks in his button-downs and nothing else.

It's the way he licks his lips after they kiss, like he's savoring her taste.

It's the way she smiles at him when she catches him staring.

It's the way he looks at her like can't wait to rip off all her clothes.

It's the way she arches her back when she stretches in her chair.

It's the way he can't seem to focus whenever she wears a tank top.

It's the way she can't concentrate when he's around.

It's the way his voice drops an octave when he's trying to seduce her.

It's the way she sighs as she sinks into his kiss.

It's the way he runs his fingers down her arms and makes her tremble.

It's the way she runs her fingers through his hair.

It's the way he can't seem to keep his hands off her.

It's the way she rubs his leg with her foot when they're both at their desks.

It's the way he worships her with his lips.

It's the way she gasps as he thrusts into her.

It's the way he moans her name when she rides him.

It's the way she runs her tongue along his throat.

It's the way he always leaves a mark on her skin.

It's the way she glows when she's in a state of post-coital bliss.

It's the way his bare skin feels against her own.

That's what they tell people when they're asked what the attraction is. But it doesn't matter what other people think. The attraction is there, even if others don't understand.


	11. Chemistry

**Prompt:** 14. chemistry

* * *

"You can't argue with chemistry," Lindsay says as she holds up the results of their latest test, proving Danny wrong - once again.

Danny looks her up and down and licks his lips, and she can feel her heart begin to race and her palms begin to sweat. He reaches out across the lab table and tucks a loose curl behind her ear, and her breath hitches in her throat, and her cheeks flush.

When Danny pulls his hands away, he says, "I would never presume to argue with chemistry."


	12. Salt

**Prompt:** 02. love

* * *

"I told you so," Mac said.

Danny looked around, unsure of what Mac was supposed to have told him. As they were the only two in the print lab at the moment, Danny knew Mac had to be addressing him. What he didn't know was what the hell Mac was talking about.

"You told me what?" Danny asked, returning his attention to the distorted print on the screen in front of him.

"You'll need some salt," Mac said, smiling that annoying Mac half-smile that signaled how he knew everything.

"For what?" Danny asked, for one brief moment thinking Mac meant the print.

"To eat your words."

Danny narrowed his eyes at his boss, now convinced the older man had lost it. "Are you on crack?"

Mac shook his head, still smiling. "I told you it could happen to you."

"Mac, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Love."

Danny jerked so violently that he almost knocked the microscope off the table. He coughed a couple of times and said, "Love? Mac, you sure you're not drunk or something?"

Mac said nothing, his eyes focused on something on the other side of the glass. Danny followed his gaze and saw that Lindsay had stopped in the hallway, regarding something in a manila folder. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and chewed her lower lip, completely engrossed in whatever it was she was reading. Danny couldn't help but stare. She was mesmerizing. Eventually, she raised her eyes and caught him staring. He blushed and gave her a sheepish smile. She gave him a much warmer one and started walking again.

When Danny turned back around, Mac was still smiling at him. Danny cleared his throat. "What?"

"I'll go get the salt."


	13. A Walk in the Park

**Prompts:** 04. sweet, 17. proposal

* * *

He's sure she's not expecting anything as they stroll through Central Park. He hasn't given anything away, hasn't even hinted. He wants her to be surprised.

The arrive at Bethesda Fountain - her favorite place in the park - and stand there for a moment, watching the water. Finally he turns to her and says, "You ever think about marriage?"

She raises her eyebrows and smiles at him. "Marriage in general, you mean? Marriage as an institution?"

She's toying with him. He loves it. He wouldn't have it any other way. He shrugs and says, "Sure."

She keeps her eyes on the fountain when she answers. "I think that, if the right guy were to come along, I wouldn't be completely opposed to the idea of marriage."

He furrows his brow, slightly concerned. Is she still messing with him? "Could I be that guy?"

She lifts one shoulder in a shrug, bringing her chin down to meet it. He loves when she does that. "Maybe."

He pulls the ring box out of his pocket and tosses it casually up in the air. Her eyes follow it as he gracefully catches it and repeats the action. "So," he says, catching it again and holding it out to show her, "should I take this back, then?"

Her eyes are wide, her mouth open. Her hands fly to cover her mouth as he gets down on one knee. He opens the box, and she gasps when she sees the ring. He hopes she likes it. Stella had dragged him to half a dozen stores before he found one he liked. "What are you doing?" she asks, as though it isn't completely obvious.

He considers giving her a smart-ass remark but decides against it. He's asking the love of his life to marry him. Now is not the time for jokes. "I'm asking you to marry me, Montana."

Well...except that one.

"Danny - "

"I love you, Linds," Danny says, and damn if his eyes don't start to burn with tears. "I didn't know what love was until I met you. I didn't know what happiness was until you loved me. I can't imagine the rest of my life without you. I don't want to. Marry me?"

She just stares at him, and for a moment his heart stops, and he's terrified that she's going to say "no". Then she breaks into a wide smile. "Danny Messer, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

He stands up slowly and licks his lips uncertainly. "So...that's a yes?"

She throws her arms around him and treats him to a mind-numbing kiss that leaves him breathless and lightheaded.

"So, is that a yes?"

She smacks him on the arm. "Yes, you idiot. Yes."

He slides the ring on her finger amidst a smattering of applause from people nearby and pulls her in for another kiss.


	14. SelfControl

**Prompt:** 18. date

* * *

She'd promised him drinks. He wanted dinner, too. She wasn't sure she was ready to agree to that yet. Drinks was one thing, but dinner...that would be like a date. Was Lindsay ready for a date with Danny Messer?

She chose to ignore the fact that her inviting him to Cozy's to watch Mac play could technically be construed as a date. Technically, Mac had been there, so the two of them hadn't been alone. Granted, Mac hadn't been at the table, but he'd been in the building, so that counted.

To actually be alone with him? To be alone in his presence for a prolonged period of time? How would she be able to control herself? She could barely control herself as it was. Ever since that first day at the zoo, she felt her self-control tear, little by little. One day it would rip completely apart, and she wasn't ready for that.

If he knew how dirty her thoughts were...how many times she'd imagined cleaning their desks off the easy way and giving the lab a show not suitable for anyone under the age of 17...how she had to take cold showers on the nights whenever he wore one of those polo shirts to work... If he knew that, well, he might like it. He might feel the same. He might want to do something about it.

Definitely no dinner. Maybe not even drinks. She would lose her self-control.

If she hadn't already.


	15. Serendipity

**Prompts:** 01. candles, 07. fantasy

* * *

Lindsay was exhausted. All she wanted to do was soak in a nice hot bath and sleep for ten years. She slid her key into the lock and opened the door. As she stepped inside her apartment, she gasped and dropped her keys.

Her living room was lit by at least a hundred candles. Soft music - classical, she noticed - was playing on her stereo. Rose petals littered the floor. And standing by the coffee table, dressed to kill in a tuxedo, was Danny Messer. His arms were crossed behind his back. He nodded to acknowledge her.

"Montana," he said as she shut her door. He held out one of his hands, and she saw that he was holding a single, long-stemmed red rose. "How you doin'?"

"Danny," Lindsay said, moving towards him, her heart suddenly beating very fast, "how did you - "

"Your landlady let me in," he said. He smiled and shrugged sheepishly. "Told her you were having a bad day and I wanted to cheer you up. She pinched my cheek, called me something in Portuguese, and opened the door."

She smiled and took the rose. "No, Danny. How did you know that this," she gestured at her apartment with a sweep of her arm, "was one of my all-time romantic fantasies?"

He tossed her one of his patented, charming, devil-may-care, knee-melting smiles. "_Serendipity_."

She raised an eyebrow. "Say what now?"

He chuckled, low and deep, and her heart fluttered. "We were watching _Serendipity_, and we got to the part where...you know...the _Underworld_ chick walks into her house, and sees all the candles and roses, and you said you wished someone would do that for you."

"That was six months ago," Lindsay said, barely able to contain the awe in her voice. "You remember that?"

He licked his lips and gently cupped her face. "I remember everything you say to me."

She blushed and looked down. "A fortunate accident."

It was his turn to look confused. "Huh?"

"That's what 'serendipity' means. A fortunate accident. Kind of like us, don't you think?"

Danny didn't answer her right away. Instead, he dipped his head and captured her lips in a feather-light kiss that made her feel woozy and turned her knees to water. "Ain't nothing accidental about us, Montana. We're made for each other, you and me." In one swift motion, he scooped her up in his arms. "Let me prove it to you."

He had given the bedroom the same treatment as her living room - candles and rose petals everywhere. As he laid her on the bed, she couldn't help but think that all those candles were sure to be a fire hazard. Then his lips found hers again and she ceased to think at all.


	16. DressDown Danny

**Prompt:** 21. aphrodisiac

* * *

She would never tell him that the way she liked him best wasn't all dressed up - button-down and tie, dress slacks and polished shoes. The sight of him shirtless, in athletic pants, slung low enough around his waist to reveal his pelvic bone, was the ultimate aphrodisiac.

She would never tell him that. But she got the feeling that he knew anyway.


	17. Comfort

**Prompts:** 26. company, 20. writer's choice

* * *

Lindsay didn't say anything. She didn't need to. That wasn't why Danny had come over. He hadn't come for her whispered assurances, which she wouldn't presume to give him. She wouldn't tell him that everything was going to be all right because she honestly didn't know how things were going to turn out. Danny didn't come to her for what she had to say. He came to her for the way she held him as his tough New York facade disappeared and he sobbed into her pillow. He came for the way her fingers rubbed his back, his arms, his neck as he lost control of the emotions he tried so hard to hide. He came for her company, the comfort that she offered, and she was more than willing to oblige. 


	18. Love on a Rooftop

**Prompts:** 12. perfect, 29. more than a memory

* * *

She hadn't told him anything about the date. Just to look nice. But look nice could mean anything. He was starting to think that they'd end up at the opera or the ballet or something like that, but the ended up on the roof of her apartment building, which she had made to look like an Italian restaurant. She had strung white lights around the small table, and there was soft music playing on the CD player.

He was speechless, completely blown away by all the effort she had put into their date. He must've been quiet for too long, because her face fell.

"I did it wrong, didn't I?" she asked, fumbling with her fingers.

He pulled her to him and placed a kiss at the juncture where her shoulder met her neck. She gave a soft moan, and he smiled. "It's perfect," he said. "Absolutely perfect."

"Good," she said, grinning. "Because you are one picky son of a bitch."


End file.
